Shevardnadze not to Raise Peacekeepers’ Issue at CIS Summit

(Tbilisi, February 25, Civil Georgia) – “I do not intend to raise Russian peacekeeping forces’ issue at the summit of Commonwealth of Independent States [CIS] in Almaty,” President Shevardnadze stated in his traditional Monday radiobroadcast on February 25.

Eduard Shevardnadze stated that this is informal summit so no decision will be taken during the meeting of leaders of CIS countries.

Georgian government agreed to prolong Russian peacekeepers’ mandate till June 30. They are deployed in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict zone under the auspices of CIS.

Government claimed that Georgian will demand change of CIS peacekeepers’ mandate and their removal deeper into the breakaway Abkhazian territory at Galidzga river.

CIS summit will be held in Almaty on March 1.